If you haven’t met Sara yet, you’re missing out. This boss babe was a runner up in our 2018 Summer Shape Up Challenge and continues to WOW us with her drive and consistency. Over our 5 week Sleigh the Holiday Challenge, Sara dropped 10 POUNDS!! As a hypo babe, Sara shares all her tips and tricks for planning her meals and workouts to get MAJOR results… As you can see below, she knows what she’s doing!

Meet Sara

Name: Sara Ryan

Age: 36

Location: Ontario, Canada

How long have you been part of Team LSF?

I joined Team LSF in the summer of 2018! Best decision ever! So far, I’ve taken part in Summer Shape Up, the October Boo-Ty Challenge, Fridge Makeover, and Sleigh the Holiday.

What is your favorite LSF workout to do?

I love doing the Ab Ladders after my workouts. I find that if you have a strong core, it tends to make your workouts a little easier. At the beginning of each LSF challenge, my core is quite weak which makes the rest of my workouts more difficult as I get fatigued quickly. Once I regularly started rocking the Ab Ladder, I found that my core got a lot stronger and the workouts became more enjoyable. It also helped with my lower back pain!

What’s your favorite workout video of Katie’s?

My fave video was the Holiday Hot Body HIIT from the Sleigh the Holiday Challenge! I love all over body workouts and that was so much fun! The exercises in the video were different than what I would normally do. It is always good to change up your routine and train your body to try something new. Also, seeing Katie working out in her gorgeous living room was a nice change in scenery!

What is your go-to LSF recipe?

There are so many delicious and healthy recipes, but if I had to choose, my top three would be: Turkey Burgers, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (with Vital Proteins Obvi!), and the Peanut Butter Chocolate Muffins. All are so easy to make, good for you, and so yummy! Pssst, they’re all in the Guiltless Nutrition Guide.

What is the hardest part of working out for you?

The hardest part of working out is finding the time. Every Sunday, I schedule in my workouts for the week, but things do come up last minute and I don’t always get to it. If I were to get home from a long day, it’s difficult for me to find the motivation to workout late at night. I definitely feel sluggish the next morning.

My hubby created an amazing home gym for me in the basement, which has definitely helped me with those late night workouts! There’s really no excuse! He was very proud of my Summer Shape Up progress and wanted to ensure that I had somewhere to workout at home during the colder winter months.

What is your problem zone?

For me, my problem zone is my hips and inner/outer thigh area. That is, shall we say, the most curvy part. This area is tough to train, but the more I work on it, the inches seem to drop! Hello squat challenge! Since I have started LSF workouts and the Hot Body Meal Plan, this area has shrunk considerably! It makes it so much easier to be active when I’m not lugging around extra weight in this area.

Tell us about your experience with the Hot Body Sweat Guide.

Not only have I lost pounds, I have lost inches. That is more important to me than ever because I can actually feel it in my clothes. Things are starting to fit more comfortably, not so snug, and I feel more confident in my own skin. Last summer, I participated in two races (Spartan and Mud Run) which is something I never would have done before, but since I started with LSF, I have this newfound confidence!

My self-confidence has risen, my energy has increased, and my stress levels have significantly decreased. I use exercising as an outlet, not only to relieve my daily stress and focus on myself, but it just feels good to move my body! Since I have joined this amazing LSF Community, everyone is so supportive, which really helps to push me to do my best. This program has taught me that fitness can be fun! It doesn’t just have to be running on a treadmill all the time, but the moves and the way that I strengthen and tone my entire body with the LSF workouts has literally changed my life! I am very grateful.

Tell us about your experience with the Hot Body Meal Plan.

The HBMP has completely reinvigorated the way that I eat. Before I used to just grab whatever was around, but now I am very aware of what type of foods I put into my body, how it helps to support and nourish me, and in the end, how it makes me feel. I had IBS and therefore learning about gut health from Katie was very critical for me. Learning to take a probiotic each and every day has significantly reduced my bloat and I learned to eat foods that were healthy for my body.

The HBMP has also forced me to start meal prepping. Honestly, if there is one thing that I can take away from this whole journey (in regards to food), it’s that it is so important to meal prep. There was a week or two that I got very busy and fell off the wagon, and boy oh boy did my nutrition suffer. Meal planning and meal prepping is key!! The HBMP taught me how to be prepared and set myself up for success (while loving the foods that I was eating!). The meals aren’t difficult to put together, so that helped with time as well!

What made you decide to get the guides?

I decided to get the Lifestyle Makeover Bundle which includes the HBSG, HBMP, and the GNG. I did so because I decided if I was going to make a change in my life, I really needed to go all in. I wanted to improve the way that I ate (hello sugar addict!) and get into a regular routine of working out. I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to just cut sugar out all at once, therefore I knew that the GNG was definitely needed. In regards to exercising, I couldn’t just walk into the gym and start working out, I needed a plan and a guide. That is exactly what the HBSG 1.0 did for me. I knew what I was doing that day and for the rest of the week. I can prep and be confident when going into the gym and working from home. Katie always makes me feel very comfortable and confident!

What is your best advice for other girls trying to start up a fitness routine?

Just do it! Start slowly and build. Your body will change when you challenge it, not when you punish it. PREP PREP PREP! Scheduling in your workouts and meal prep is so key. If you don’t schedule it in, then it won’t happen. Plan out your week every Sunday night. That way you know what you are doing and ensure that you stick with it! When you start to see results, it will motivate you to keep going!! You can do this girl!!

What keeps you motivated?

What keeps me motivated to workout and enjoy healthy nutrition is the amazing progress that I have seen in my body since I started with LSF. The amount of knowledge that I have absorbed in regards to proper form, being creative with my workouts, and eating healthy has helped me tremendously. When I see and feel results, it just pushes me to do more! The most amazing feeling is when I put on a pair of jeans and they fit comfortably, rather than tight! Those are the inches melting away and it’s the best feeling ever! The support that I get from the LSF community is so great! On those days that I really don’t feel like working out, they are there to ensure me that it’s worth it and I will feel so much better after the workout, and you know what… I do!

Anything else you want to share with the LSF community?

If you are thinking about joining this community, do it! I promise that you will not regret it. Katie and her team are amazing and will answer any questions that you may have! Katie gets it because she’s been there…she’s walked life 45 lbs heavier. The team’s Instagram posts and the LSF blog are very informative and fun! The friends and support that you will get from the LSF community are unreal! I have relied on those babes through all of my challenges (up’s and down’s) and they have all been there for me and hopefully I have been there for them too. Such amazing people!! I’m so thankful that I found LSF!